20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 713 The conspiracy has no solution
Three days later, Naniwa Square.

The sun gradually became warmer, the wind was gentle and the clouds were light, and the white marble stele in the center of the square cast a long and narrow shadow - the Memorial Monument to the Japan-Russia Battle in 1888 - a symbol of the small East becoming a great power and a scar on the faces of the people of Kanto.

It was past noon, and Saito Rokuro and Yamazaki Yuta were patrolling near the square.

In addition to the two of them, there were more than a dozen Japanese plainclothes officers lying in ambush everywhere.

When they reached an open space, Saito Rokuro raised his hand and said proudly, "Yamazaki, our new building of the Toyo Police Department should be built here in the future."

Yamazaki Yuta looked at the empty space in front of him and nodded expectantly: "That must be a big project!"

"Of course!"

Saito Rokuro smiled and said, "Not only our police station building, but also various financial groups and banks will set up branches here. I heard that the ultimate goal of the South Railway Company is to build this place into the 'Bund' of Fengtian. Just wait and see, within five years, the results will be seen!"

Yuta Yamazaki echoed a few words, then looked down at the time, looking a little anxious.

"Senior, it's almost two o'clock, why haven't the Jiang family arrived yet?"

According to Sheng Mancang's intelligence, the Jiang family will send people to Naniwa Square to hold a rally today to distract the police's attention and disrupt the deployment of police forces.

Saito Rokuro originally planned to take advantage of the situation and detain several people, and at the same time give Jiang Lianheng a warning.

Unexpectedly, until now, Naniwa Square remains as quiet as still water.

In the open space in the distance, there was no other movement except for a dozen sparrows jumping around, sometimes flying up and sometimes falling.

Saito Rokuro frowned, his face gloomy, and muttered in a low voice: "Wait a little longer! Anyway, this place is not far from the West Pagoda. If something goes wrong, we can provide support conveniently!"

Since his senior had spoken, Yamazaki Yuta did not dare to object and could only patrol patiently.

However, this wait lasted from the afternoon until dusk.

What darkened was not only the sky, but also Saito Rokuro's face.

As it was almost time to light the lamps, the Japanese police chief finally ordered his troops to withdraw, and then led his men to Xita Gaoli Street in a menacing manner.

As soon as he entered the backyard of Qingqiu Society, Saito Rokuro immediately shouted, "Where did that Chinese pig go?"

Sheng Mancang was escorted out by the crowd. He rolled and crawled in front of Xiao Dongyang, raised his head, and asked anxiously: "Taijun, what...what happened?"

"Let me ask you, where are Jiang Lianheng's people?"

"They...they didn't go?"

Saito Rokuro raised his foot and kicked Sheng Mancang in the face, then he asked in a Kansai accent, cursing, "I was just about to ask you something! How dare you play tricks on me? Didn't you say that Jiang Lianheng would send someone to Naniwa Square today?"

Sheng Mancang wiped the blood from his nose, and after listening to the translation, he exclaimed in shock: "Taijun, I didn't lie to you! Jiang Lianheng...he really told me that!"

"Bagaya road!"

"Hey, stop hitting me, I really didn't lie to you!"

Saito Rokuro was very emotional and cursed a few more Japanese words. Then he picked up the baton and walked straight towards Sheng Mancang.

Seeing this, Sheng Mancang felt even more wronged than Dou E. He cried and snotted, and immediately knelt on the ground, begging bitterly.

"Madam! Madam, you must understand clearly! Today, Heshengfang is closed down, and the Jiang family has transferred all the thugs. If you don't believe me, just send someone to the city to ask around and you will know everything. How dare I lie to you? Even if I really lied to you, why would I come back if I didn't run away as soon as possible? Am I looking for death?"

After hearing this, Saito Rokuro gradually calmed down.

Yamazaki Yuta also reminded in a low voice: "Senior, I think what he said makes sense!"

Saito Rokuro snorted coldly, paused for a moment, and then asked again: "Did you really see the Jiang family mobilize thugs?"

"It's absolutely true! Madam, I swear to heaven that if I tell you even a single lie, I, Sheng Mancang, will be reborn as a Japanese in my next life!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"No, no!" Sheng Mancang was so frightened that his tongue became tied. He hastily changed his words and said, "What I meant is that if I dare to lie to you, I will die without any descendants and a miserable death!"

Saito Rokuro stepped forward and whispered intimidatingly: "I'm warning you for the last time, don't lie to me."

"I really didn't lie. If you don't believe me, you can go and ask me! Besides, I'm here. How can I run away?"

Sheng Mancang said this while looking around anxiously.

The Japanese and the Koreans looked at each other, both a little confused.

Silence for a long time.

Saito Rokuro slowly straightened up, stared at Sheng Mancang for a while, and then ordered Song Lvcheng: "Be careful at night and keep an eye on this kid. I'm going back to verify what he said. Wait for my call." Then he turned sideways and said, "Yamazaki, follow me."

At the command, everyone nodded and left the backyard one after another.

Sheng Mancang collapsed to the ground, his whole body limp like mud. He watched the Japanese patrol officers disappear into the night, and his heart began to waver - which side should he be on?
At nine o'clock, Qingqiu Society closed its doors.

The thugs in the store had no desire to sleep. They closed the door, turned off the lights, and sat in the lobby with their machetes and sticks, and their guns loaded with bullets, ready for battle at any time.

…………

On the other side, Saito Rokuro and Yamazaki Yuta returned to the Toyo Police Station at night.

The lights were on in the duty room, and there was a young police officer sitting at the table, nodding and dozing off.

Hearing footsteps outside the door, the police officer was immediately awakened and quickly stood up and saluted.

"Captain Saito, why... did you come back so late?"

"On patrol duty."

"What?" The young police officer was a little confused. "Are there any extra duty tasks today?"

"It has nothing to do with you. It's my own intelligence clue."

Saito Rokuro did not explain much. He hurried to the table and asked the young police officer while holding the phone, "Nothing happened in the area today, right?"

"No!" The police officer answered confidently, "However, something seemed to have happened in Xiaoxiguan, Huajie, in the afternoon."

"Huh? What's going on?"

"I heard that around 2 or 3 o'clock, a lot of Chinese people suddenly gathered over there, and they seemed to be preparing to march and protest over here."

"Then why didn't they come?"

"Hey, does Chief Saito want them to come over and cause trouble?"

"What are you talking about?" Saito Rokuro shouted, "Just answer my question!"

The young police officer looked startled and quickly replied, "Well, before they could get here, they were stopped by the Chinese patrol police. Probably because there were other representatives in Fengtian City who hadn't left yet, and they were worried about the impact. Anyway, they were all dismissed in the end."

Saito Rokuro frowned and thought about it, still seeming a little worried, so he picked up the phone and called the Chinese area.

After a while, the call was connected.

A standard Japanese dialect came from the receiver.

Almost all the foreign consulates in Fengtian are concentrated on the south side of the intersection of Xiaoxigang Street, which is also the area with the densest concentration of Japanese spies. There are Japanese spies everywhere, many of whom disguise themselves as Chinese on a daily basis.

Saito Rokuro called another informant and asked him about the situation on Xiaoxigang Street in the city.

"Hey, Heshengfang is indeed closed today!"

"Hey, there was indeed a small gathering in the city this afternoon, but the number of people was small, and it has been stopped!"

"Hey, although the Marshal's birthday banquet is over, the security work in the provincial capital has not been relaxed for the time being. I saw a few suspicious people, and they were all stopped by the Chinese patrolmen!"

The informant provided information one after another, and each one matched Sheng Mancang's statement.

So, could it be that the boy really didn't lie?

Saito Rokuro sat down slowly, thought for a moment, and called Qingqiu Society again.

Song Lvcheng's voice sounded a little tired in the receiver, and he seemed to be forcing himself to cheer up: "Moshimoshi? Oh, Mr. Saito, how is the situation now?"

Faced with the question, Saito Rokuro was inevitably a little hesitant: "Well... to be honest, I'm not sure now."

"Can not be sure?"

"Yeah, the situation is a little more complicated than I thought."

"Well, then, I'll just... "

"Jiang Lianheng probably won't send anyone to you tonight...but he may send someone to you later...In short, you'd better be careful." After being busy all day, the result was a nonsense!
Song Lvcheng was speechless for a moment. After a long silence, he said, "Mr. Saito, did that kid lie?"

Saito Rokuro was furious and shouted, "Didn't I just say that we can't be sure now?"

"Then what should I do with him?"

"Let him live for now, and let him go to get information tomorrow, but send someone to watch him in secret. If he shows any signs of escaping, kill him immediately!"

"Okay, I'll follow Mr. Saito's orders."

It can be heard that Song Lvcheng is now very disappointed, and his tone of voice is a little low.

Unexpectedly, when he was about to hang up the phone, he suddenly screamed: "Wait! Mr. Saito, there seems to be movement over here!"

Saito Rokuro immediately stood up and asked, "What's going on?"

"Hey, you guys, take your guys and go out and take a look!"

As he was speaking, the receiver heard the shouts of the Koreans and the clanging of tables and chairs.

"Hello? Have the Jiang family members arrived?" Saito Rokuro asked quickly into the microphone. Yamazaki Yuta beside him was ready to leave at any time.

After more than ten seconds, Song Lvcheng's voice sounded again.

"Moshimoshi, Mr. Saito, are you still there?"

"What's going on?"

"Uh, nothing. There seemed to be some movement outside the door just now. Fortunately, it was just a false alarm."

"Asshole, have you checked carefully?"

"Don't worry, I've sent people to keep watch around here, but they didn't see any human figures." Song Lvcheng was a little embarrassed. "Maybe it's because the wind outside is too loud!"

Saito Rokuro cursed a few times and told Qingqiu Society not to panic. Then he ordered: "Do as I say tomorrow and give that kid one last chance..."

…………

A sleepless night and an early morning.

Sheng Mancang's steps were unsteady, his eyes were cloudy, and he stumbled all the way, but finally arrived at the Jiang family mansion in time.

The long period of mental tension made his mind a little distracted. His eyes turned a blind eye and his ears turned a deaf ear. He walked here in a daze, but his heart became more and more determined in his choice.

There is no way to escape by running.

Although there was no evidence, he was quite sure that Qingqiu Society would not let him go easily, and there must be someone following him.

Only by escaping to Jiang's house could he ensure his own safety, but that also meant that he would have to confess his crimes to Jiang Lianheng - obviously, he didn't have the courage to do so.

Jiang Lianheng "kindly" gave him a chance to reform, but he turned against him and became a traitor. No matter what his reasons were, the outcome was certain death.

There is no turning back after betraying, Sheng Mancang can only continue to work for Xiao Dongyang.

But even so, when he approached the Jiang family's gate, his heart couldn't help but beat nervously.

Yuan Xinfa stood outside the door and asked him with a frown, "Are you here to see the boss?"

Sheng Mancang nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, yes, yes, has the boss woken up? Brother Yuan, I want to ask you something, why did you guys yesterday--"

Before he could finish his words, Yuan Xinfa turned around impatiently and pushed open half of the iron door.

Sheng Mancang didn't dare to go in. He turned sideways and looked inside, and his heart immediately hung in his throat.

However, there were many people in the yard, at least thirty strong men gathered here, listening to the boss's lecture attentively.

Yuan Xinfa walked over quickly, muttered a few words to Jiang Lianheng, then raised his hand and pointed outside the door.

After hearing this, Jiang Lianheng stretched his neck to look towards the door. When he saw Sheng Mancang, he immediately hurried out to greet him.

"Xiao Sheng, why are you here in broad daylight?"

"Boss, what are they doing..."

"Don't talk yet!" Jiang Lianheng looked around and hurriedly dragged Sheng Mancang into the yard. "It's broad daylight. What if someone sees us and the news leaks out?"

Sheng Mancang was stunned and asked in a low voice: "Boss, why didn't you come yesterday? I...I prepared everything for you in Qingqiu Society!"

"Well, you don't know, yesterday there was a rich man from another province who wanted to investigate the business situation in Fengtian. Lao Chai from the government office came to greet me specially, but in the end he had to delay it!"

"Then...then are we going to take revenge on Qingqiu Society?"

"Of course I want revenge. Didn't you see I called all the people here?"

"So...do it tonight?"

Sheng Mancang looked at the "Xiangzi" in the yard and felt that this time things were going to get serious.

Jiang Lianheng also nodded: "Well, tonight, or tomorrow night, or the night after tomorrow at the latest, in short, Qingqiu Society should not think of letting it go like this!"

"Wait, wait..." Sheng Mancang was overwhelmed and asked quickly, "Boss, can you give me a definite answer? When are you going to start?"

Jiang Lianheng frowned and sighed, "Xiao Sheng, it's not that I don't give you accurate information, but plans can't keep up with changes. People can't be too rigid, don't you think?"

Sheng Mancang looked miserable, but he had no choice but to agree.

"But, speaking of which -" Jiang Lianheng continued, "You have been in Qingqiu Society recently, and you are quite familiar with that place. How about you give me some ideas and see when is the best day to start?"

"Boss, I think tonight is a good night!"

"Okay, tonight then!"

"deal?"

"It should be tonight, or tomorrow night, or the night after tomorrow at the latest - in short, within the next three days!"

Sheng Mancang was speechless, but no matter what, at least he had an approximate time period, so he would not get nothing.

Jiang Lianheng patted the boy on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Okay, don't stay here any longer in the broad daylight, go back quickly! Don't forget, after 10 o'clock at night, help the brothers to unlock the door and wait for us to come. We'll see the specific time then! I don't trust many people, and you are one of them, don't let me down!"

"I see……"

Sheng Mancang sighed, and seeing that Jiang Lianheng had no intention of detaining him, he had to turn around and leave in despair.

…………

At the same time, in the living room of the mansion, Jiang Ya was standing by the windowsill, looking at the situation in the yard curiously.

"Uncle Dong, are all the people here today workers from our gravel factory?"

"Yes!"

Zhang Zhengdong sat not far away, spreading a "promotion chart" on the coffee table, and waved at Jiang Ya, "Don't worry about it, they will leave soon, do you still want to play?"

"But why do I feel like those people look familiar?" Jiang Ya turned around and pointed out the window, "Didn't they always follow Uncle Zhao?"

"If you don't play, I'll take it away!"

"Play, play, play!" Jiang Ya quickly came over and sat down. "Look at you, why are you so anxious?"

Zhang Zhengdong didn't say anything. It wasn't that he suddenly became impatient, but the children were getting older and some things could no longer be hidden.

Jiang Ya looked at the board game on the coffee table and was about to pick up the dice, but quickly retracted her hand and asked with a smile: "Who goes first?"

"You come first!"

"Let's guess Ding Ke. It's fair!"

Zhang Zhengdong sneered, nodded and said, "It's up to you, come on! Rock, Scissors--"

"Wait a minute!" Jiang Ya suddenly came over, with a sly look in her eyes, and asked with a half-smile, "Uncle Dong, I'd better tell you in advance, I'm going to take out the stone later!"

Zhang Zhengdong was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, you've learned bad habits, why don't you try this on me?"

"How do you think you've learned bad things?" Jiang Ya said innocently, "Uncle Dong, when have I ever lied to you? If I really show you the stone later, you better think carefully!"

Zhang Zhengdong shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Whether he wanted to or not, at this moment, he had inevitably fallen into a passive situation...

(End of this chapter)